Ash receptacle for automobiles

ABSTRACT

The receptacle structure comprises a fixed, sheet metal stamped mounting member of inverted channel-shaped rectangular section, whose depending flanges are flat substantially throughout. Each flange has a rigid rectangular and nonmetallic frictional guide plate, for example of a thermosetting plastic, fixedly applied to its inner surface, as by a single screw and coacting flange tabs, the plates also being generally flat in character. Each guide plate has a pair of horizontally aligned, integral and inwardly molded, flexible guide lug or skid formations of quasicircular outline, which formations mate under sliding friction in longitudinal grooves of the ash box or receptacle member of the structure.

United States Patent I 72] Inventor Henry De Boer Lowell, Mich. [21] Appl. No. 841,470 [22] Filed July 14, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 17, 1971 [73] Assignee F. L. Jacobs, Inc.

' Detroit, Mich.

[54] ASH RECEPTACLE FOR AUTOMOBILES I 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 312/246, 312/241, 206/195 E [51 Int. Cl ..A47b 67/02, A47f 5/08, B60n 3/08 50] Field of Search 312/246, 341; 206/195 E [56] References Cited 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 21,080 5/193 9 De Boer n A 312/246 2,334,925 Hendricks 312/246 Primary Examiner Paul R. Gilliam AttorneyWhittemore, Hulbert and Belknap ABSTRACT: The receptacle structure comprises a fixed, sheet metal stamped mounting member of inverted channelshaped rectangular section, whose depending flanges are flat substantially throughout. Each flange has a rigid rectangular and nonmetallic frictional guide plate, for example of a thermosetting plastic, fixedly applied to its inner surface, as by a single screw and coacting flange tabs, the plates also being generally flat in character. Each guide plate has a pair of horizontally aligned, integral and inwardly molded, flexible guide lug or skid formations of quasicircular outline, which formations mate under sliding friction in longitudinal grooves q ih? a P9 r r p e mbss ft ww PATENTED AUG] 7 I97! owns ASH RECEPTACLE FOR AUTOMOBILES CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS My copending application, Ser. No. 841,471, filed July 14, 1969, discloses and claims a generally similar type of ash receptacle, in which the nonmetallic frictional guide plates are mounted in a somewhat different fashion to the depending flanges of a fixed mount, involving the use of special inwardly struck plate-backing formations on said flanges. My copending application, Ser. No. 841,472, filed July 14, 1969,.also relates to a specially guided sliding box and cover action, but in a reversed type of structure in which the ash box is fixed in relation. to the automobiles mounting structure, having a cover which is slidingly retractable from and returnable over the box through the agency of the plastic guide means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 1. Field of the Invention The receptacle structure of the invention finds application in automotive installations, in which it is desirable, in fact I competitively necessary, to maintain the cost of the receptacle SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The ash receptacle structure is of the simplest possible nature consistent with a stable retractile and return guiding of its ash receptacle member or box in reference to its fixed retaining member. No roller or other moving parts are employed; and the receptacle may be fully withdrawn for emptying, then replaced by purely sliding movements, i.e., not requiring any further manual unlatching operation or the like, in short, such as would increase the cost of production of the unit. The guiding action is exerted by a pair of rigid but nonmetallic plates, preferably of a thermosetting plastic for its desirable coefficient of friction, each plate being screwed or otherwise fastened in a simple way onto the inner side of a depending flange of a retainer mount of inverted, generally rectangular channel cross section. The material of the guide plates is such as to have substantialrigidity as formed, and each plate has a pair of integral inwardly struck arcuate guide ear or lug formations which act as skids. These are partially separated from the remainder of the plate to impart to them a degree of inherent flexibility, plus the flexibility arising from the nature of the mounting channel flanges, so as to slidingly engage with appreciable frictional force in mating grooves of the movable receptacle member. Accordingly, the sliding action of the latter is opposed to a mild degree sufficient only to obtain stability and a nonrattling, noiseless action, permitting the receptacle to remain in fixed relation to its mount in fully or partially withdrawn positions, or as fully closed into the space behind the dashboard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the receptacle structure, showing the ash receptacle or box member in a fully closed position, the fixed mounting member being partially broken away to reveal a portion of its frictional guide and skid-providing component;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of what is shown in'FIG. I, being partially broken away and in horizontal section to further show the frictional skids components; and

, FIG. 3 is a partially broken view in enlarged scale and vertical section on broken line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

The automotive ash receptacle structure of the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, comprises the usual two basic components, namely, a fixed mounting retainer 12 and an ash box, tray or receptacle member 14 guided for sliding action by mount 12. The latter, structural features of which are hereinafter detailed, is fixedly mounted in the usual fashion by appropriate screw means or the like (not shown) in the space of the automobile directly behind its dashboard.

Ash receptacle member 14, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, comprises a box or body member 15, preferably in the form of a fairly deep drawn sheet metal stamping providing upright sidewalls 16, a front wall 17 and a rear wall 18, all integrally connected at rounded bottom comers to constitute a rigid receptacle entity. As depicted in F IG. 1, front receptacle wall 17 curves mildly downwardly and to the rear, in conformity with the curvature of the dash panel (not shown) bordering the same; and wall 17 may include a local embossed and indented circular area at 18 to which a fingerpiece (not shown) may be attached.

This embossed portion also affords a mounting place for a separate stamped, L-shaped extinguisher part 19, which is spotwelded to a rear surface of the embossment l8 and provides a nut element for the attachment of the fingerpiece. The curved front wall 17 is covered by a mating curved finish panel 20 appropriately secured rigidly thereto, as by riveting a bottom tab 20 of panel 20 to the bottom of box member 15, the panel carrying suitable external garnishing harmonizing with the appearance of the dashboard area surrounding it.

Features of the above sort actuallyconstitute no significant part of the invention, the sole feature really germane to the invention residing in a front-to-rear-extending, arcuate horizontal groove or guideway 21 stamped in each of the receptacle sidewalls 16, being convex to the interior of receptacle 14. These ways or grooves are located approximately midway-of the height of the respective walls 16.

The mounting member 12 is a sheet metal stamping whose section is that of an inverted rectangular channel, including a horizontal top panel 22 having apertures 22 for its fixed mounting behind the dashboard, and depending flat side flanges or walls 23.

The structure of mounting member 12 is complemented and completed by a rectangular and nonmetallic, frictional skid or guide plate 24 fixed on each of its side flanges 23. The frontto-rear dimension of these plate members corresponds with that ofthe flanges, and their height (FIG. 3) is but a bit less than that of the side flanges 23 of mount 12. A single machine screw 26 is applied through a center hole of each plate 24, taking outwardly into a tapped hole in the adjacent mount flange 23 to lock the plate in place on the flange. This action is supplemented by upper and lower ears or tabs 28, 29 excised from and struck inwardly of each mount wall or flange 23 at locations adjacent the flange top and the bottom, respectively. These tabs take into small top and bottom slots 30 (FIG. 3) of guide plate, thus affording locks at three vertically spaced points, as shown in FIG. I, i.e., at tabs 28, 29 and screw 26, to prevent any tendency of plates 24 to cant or shift in relation to the mounts flanges 23. Thus, the two skid plates are rigidly fastened to and within said flanges with minimum operations in production and assembly.

Plate members 24 are fabricated of any suitable thermosetting plastic sheet material, there being manufactures available on the market, which is capable of taking a rigid set upon being die-formed to provide a pair of horizontally aligned, inwardly offset, integral guide or skid formations 31. These are of quasi-circular outline, as best shown in FIG. 3; and each such formation 31 is partially separated from the remainder of the skid plate 24, as by slotting through the lower part thereof, whether in the die forming operation or thereafter. This imparts a certain degree of flexibility to the skid formations 31, notwithstanding the relatively rigid nature of their material.

In the assembly of the receptacle structure 10, with the retaining member 12 rigidly affixed in place behind the dashboard, the guide grooves or ways 21 of receptacle member 14 are lined up rearwardly with the plastic skid formations 31 at the elevation of the latter, whereupon the receptacle member is slid rearwardly into its closed position, with its forward finished wall panel 20 flush with the surrounding area of the dashboard. In doing this the skid formations 31 are placed under outward spring flexure, being thus prebiased to exert a continuing significant degree of frictional restraining action on the movements of receptacle member 14. Yet the restraint is by no means sufficiently great to interfere with a free sliding retractile and return action of the receptacle member. A sound deadened, rattlefree operation is ensured, and the ash box may be withdrawn free of its mount for emptying and replacement, without entailing any manipulation by the user other than the application of the sliding force.

What I claim is:

1. An ash receptacle comprising a fixed mounting member having a pair of vertically disposed flanges at opposite sides thereof, a receptacle member having a pair of vertically disposed sidewalls movable in a longitudinal sliding path on and relative to said mounting member between open and closed positions of said receptacle member, a pair of generally flat skid plates of rigid nonmetallic material, one skid plate being disposed adjacent to and inside of each of said flanges of said mounting member in surface to surface engagement therewith, each skid plate having a pair of longitudinally spaced individually flexible integral arcuate skid formations die-shaped therein and projecting laterally therefrom, each plate having upper and lower notches formed therein intermediate said skid formations, each of said flanges having upper and lower integral ears projecting laterally therefrom and extending through the upper and lower slots respectively in the corresponding skid plate to locate said skid plate relative to the flange, each of the sidewalls of said receptacle member having a guide groove therein facing the skid formations on the adjacent skid plate, the guide groove on each of said sidewalls being matingly engaged by the corresponding skid formations to slidingly guide said receptacle member in its longitudinal sliding path.

2. The ash receptacle structure defined in claim 1 wherein a fastening element extends through each pair of said skid plates and flanges to supplement the locating action provided by said ears and slots.

3. The ash receptacle structure of claim 1, in which each of said skid plates is of a rigid thermally moldable plastic materia], the mounting member to which said plates are fixed being of shaped sheet metal.

4. The ash receptacle structure of claim 1, in which each of the skid formations is of quasi-circular cross section, having an arcuate convex surface engaging in the mating groove.

5. The ash receptacle structure of claim 1, in which each of the skid formations is of quasi-circular cross section, having an arcuate convex surface engaging in the mating groove, each formation being partially separated from the remainder of the corresponding rigid plate material to impart flexibility to the skid formation. 

1. An ash receptacle comprising a fixed mounting member having a pair of vertically disposed flanges at opposite sides thereof, a receptacle member having a pair of vertically disposed sidewalls movable in a longitudinal sliding path on and relative to said mounting member between open and closed positions of said receptacle member, a pair of generally flat skid plates of rigid nonmetallic material, one skid plate being disposed adjacent to and inside of each of said flanges of said mounting member in surface to surface engagement therewith, each skid plate having a pair of longitudinally spaced individually flexible integral arcuate skid formations die-shaped therein and projecting laterally therefrom, each plate having upper and lower notches formed therein intermediate said skid formations, each of said flanges having upper and lower integral ears projecting laterally therefrom and extending through the upper and lower slots respectively in the corresponding skid plate to locate said skid plate relative to the flange, each of the sidewalls of said receptacle member having a guide groove therein facing the skid formations on the adjacent skid plate, the guide groove on each of said sidewalls being matingly engaged by the corresponding skid formations to slidingly guide said receptacle member in its longitudinal sliding path.
 2. The ash receptacle structure defined in claim 1 wherein a fastening element extends through each pair of said skid plates and flanges to supplement the locating action provided by said ears and slots.
 3. The ash receptacle structure of claim 1, in which each of said skid plates is of a rigid thermally moldable plastic material, the mounting member to which said plates are fixed being of shapEd sheet metal.
 4. The ash receptacle structure of claim 1, in which each of the skid formations is of quasi-circular cross section, having an arcuate convex surface engaging in the mating groove.
 5. The ash receptacle structure of claim 1, in which each of the skid formations is of quasi-circular cross section, having an arcuate convex surface engaging in the mating groove, each formation being partially separated from the remainder of the corresponding rigid plate material to impart flexibility to the skid formation. 